Notes and Queries, Number 50, October 12, 1850 eBook

Bilderdijk the Poet.—­Banished from
his native country, disowned by his own countrymen,
the Dutch poet Willem Bilderdijk pitched his tent
for a while on the hospitable soil of Old England.
Prince William V. residing in 1795 at Hampton Court,
he resolved to stay there; but, possessing no income
at all, and, like the sage of antiquity, having saved
nothing from the shipwreck but his genius, he shifted
his dwelling-place to London, where he gave lessons
in drawing, languages, and various, even medical,
sciences. He was married in England to Katharine
Wilhelmina Schweickhardt, on the 18th of May, 1797.
His residence in the birthplace of “NOTES AND
QUERIES” makes me ask, if there be still persons
living, who remember him as teacher, friend, or poet?
A presentation-copy of Mrs. Bilderdijk’s translation
of Rodrick, the Last of the Goths, was offered
to Southey, accompanied by a Latin letter from her
spouse. The poet-laureate visiting Leyden in the
summer of 1825, Bilderdijk would not suffer him to
remain lodged in the inn, where an injury to his leg
urged him to favour the landlord with a protracted
stay. Southey was transported accordingly to the
Dutch poet’s house; and did not leave it before
he was cured, several weeks having elapsed in the
meanwhile. Mention of this fact is made in a poem
the British bard addresses to Cuninghame. I do
not know whether it is alluded to in Southey’s
Life.

Bilderdijk’s foot was crushed accidentally,
in the sixth year of his age, by one of his play-fellows;
and thus he, who, by his natural disposition seemed
to be destined to a military career, was obliged to
enlist in the militia togata. He fought
the good fight in verse. It is remarkable that
Byron and Sir Walter Scott, his cotemporaries, were
also lame or limping.

JANUS DOUSA.

Egyptian MSS.—­What is the age of
the oldest MS. found in Egypt? Are there any
earlier than the age of Alexander?

J.A. GILES.

Scandinavian Priesthood.—­Will one
of your correspondents do me the favour to let me
know the best authority I can refer to for information
as to the priesthood of the Scandinavians; the mode
of their election, the rank from which they were generally
chosen, whether they were allowed to marry, &c.?

MAX BRANDESON.

Thomas Volusemus (or Wilson?).—­Is
anything known of Thomas Volusemus (Wilson?) who edited
the works of his father-in-law, Patrick Adamson, titular
Archbishop of St. Andrew’s, which were published
in London A.D. 1619?

H.A.E.

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REPLIES.

CURFEW.

We have received the following Replies to NABOC’S
inquiry (Vol. ii., p. 103.) as to where the custom
of ringing the curfew still remains.

Bingley in Yorkshire.—­In the town
of Bingley, {312} in Yorkshire, the custom of ringing
the curfew existed in the year 1824. It may have
been discontinued since that year, but I do not know
that it has.